Coconut Jelly

Coconut jelly or woon is an easy Lao dessert. It’s slightly sweet, smooth and coconut-y. Growing up my mom made woon all the time, especially for potlucks. I had forgotten how much of a crowd pleaser it is until recent gatherings.

If you think wearing the same dress as someone to a party is a faux pas and awkward, try bringing the same dish as someone to a gathering. Lao moms may be tough when it comes to tasting foods, but luckily they do have their ways of making you feel better when situations like these arise. They’ll say things like, “oh the dishes are slightly different from each other. This one is made with brown sugar and that one is made with shredded coconuts.” Yes, I had to witness this awkwardness recently, when two relatives made their versions of the coconut jelly. This was when I remembered that coconut jelly was as much a part of my childhood as Jello is to an average American kid.  So why haven’t I made this dessert yet? And of course, if I’m going to make it, I’m going to add that twist so that I don’t end up with the exact same dessert as everyone else. Just in case. Thus I added the pandan juice. That slight sea foam tint may give it away, but it really is a refreshing twist on the dessert.

It’s a fairly easy dessert to make and partially why mom made it all the time. She dumped everything into a pot and then poured it out into one of those floral enameled metal trays and after a couple of hours these perfect coconut jelly with two layers formed. Come to find out, it’s not quite that simple. There is a bit of a science to that agar-agar.  Below are a few tips and tricks.

Tips and notes:

• As much as we like to think it’s a dump and go recipe, it is not quite so. Make sure that the agar-agar is fully dissolved and your water is heated before adding the coconut milk. The heated water will activate the agar-agar and this will help the water layer to be viscous enough to support the coconut layer when it separates after it hits boiling point.
• If you want plain coconut jelly and you don’t want the pandan, just replace the 1/2 cup of pandan juice with plain water.
• For air bubbles that form after you pour into pan or tray, you can skim them off as I did in the video, or use toothpicks to pop the large bubbles. I find that popping the bubbles with the tip of my pointy finger is just as effective for larger bubbles.
• Depending on the thickness of your pan, it may take longer to set. You can feel the side of the pan for any warmness. If it’s still warm, it probably hasn’t set. Additional, you can jiggle the pan and if there’s a lot of movement and it’s really jiggly, it hasn’t fully set yet.
• The amount of sugar can be adjusted. I don’t like it too sweet.

Coconut Jelly

Time: 3½ hours (including setting time)
Serves: 10-15

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
4 cups water
½ cup pandan juice (6 fresh/frozen pandan leaves blended with water and strained)
2/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons agar-agar powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Cut 6 pandan leaves plans in blender or food processor with ½ cup plus a couple tablespoons of water. Pulse a few times. Strain using fine mesh sieve to get about ½ cup of pandan juice.

In medium sauce pan over medium heat, mix sugar, agar-agar powder, salt, water and pandan juice until sugar and agar-agar have completely dissolved. Stir frequently. Allow the pan to heat up to activate the agar-agar.  This could take several minutes.

Then add coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for a minute. Turn off the heat and quickly pour into 8×8 square pan. You can use a metal spoon to skim off bubbles. Allow to cool and set at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. The layers will form as it sets. Cut and serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.